By: Kip Adams

Kip Adams of Knoxville, Pennsylvania, is a certified wildlife biologist and QDMA's Director of Conservation. He has a bachelor's degree in wildlife and fisheries science from Penn State University and a master's in wildlife from the University of New Hampshire. He's also a certified taxidermist. Before joining QDMA, Kip was the deer and bear biologist for the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department. Kip and his wife Amy have a daughter, Katie, and a son, Bo.

6 Ways Food Plots Are Not Baiting

Feb 13, 2018 Kip Adams

This fall, tens of thousands of acres of clover food plots will feed deer and numerous other wildlife species. In addition, alfalfa, chicory, oats, and a suite of other species and mixes will be actively…

3 Ways Bucks Win the Rut

Nov 6, 2017 Kip Adams

Do you believe the list of attributes a buck must possess to be a successful breeder is long or short? Does it change depending on where you are in the whitetail’s range? Much research has…

Do Mild Winters Mean Smaller Antlers?

Oct 16, 2017 Kip Adams

Whitetail antler growth is driven by photoperiod and regulated by hormones. In general, antlers begin growing in spring, grow through late summer, shed velvet around early September, fall off in winter, and start growing again…

The Importance of Good Fawning Cover

Jun 19, 2017 Kip Adams

What came first – the doe or the fawn? Following the “chicken or the egg” analogy, you need a doe to produce a fawn, and you need a fawn to produce a doe. In reality,…

At What Age Can a Fawn Survive Without Its Doe?

Nov 14, 2016 Kip Adams

Should I shoot a doe with fawns? Ask QDMAWe are often asked if it’s okay to shoot a doe with fawns. Kip Adams, a wildlife biologist and QDMA’s Director of Education and Outreach, answers that…

Which Doe Should You Take?

Sep 14, 2016 Kip Adams

The QDMA promotes harvesting an adequate number of does to keep deer populations in balance with available resources like forage and cover. This leads to a discussion of how many does to shoot, since “adequate”…

Don’t Let Mosquitos and Ticks Ruin Your Hunting Season

Aug 22, 2016 Kip Adams

As deer hunters, we put ourselves at risk every time we hit the woods. I’m not referring to firearms or archery accidents as they are actually quite rare. We stand a much better chance of…

Defend, Display or Duel: What Are Antlers Good For?

Jul 28, 2016 Kip Adams

Antlers are like the beards on guys at hunting camp – they are secondary sexual characteristics that separate females and males but don’t directly contribute to reproduction. So, why exactly do bucks grow them? There…

Deer With Upper Canines

Jan 21, 2016 Kip Adams

Last December, Brad Wiley – QDMA committee member with the Upper Hudson River Valley Branch in New York – killed a big 4 1/2-year-old buck on the Otter Creek QDM Cooperative, of which he is a member. In this case, however,…

When Doe Fawns Breed, It’s a Good Sign

Dec 8, 2015 Kip Adams

Some doe fawns breed and conceive in their first fall, at around six to eight months of age. The percentage that do this is determined by nutrition – they attain sexual maturity if they reach…